Tampa Bay Rays

David Ortiz drove in three runs and the Boston Red Sox opened a day-night doubleheader by beating the Tampa Bay Rays 5-1 Tuesday in a game delayed nearly three hours by rain. Read more David Ortiz news

BOSTON -- For the second time this season, rain marred a matchup at Fenway Park between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays. This time, there was actually a final result, as the Sox endured a rain delay of nearly three hours before securing a 5-1 victory in the makeup of a game that was postponed by the wet stuff April 12. Boston received five solid innings from Alfredo Aceves before the rain delay and three hits and three runs from Jacoby Ellsbury in improving to 8-2 this season against their American League East rivals. Read more Jacoby Ellsbury news

In 30.2 innings on the year, he had a 5.58 ERA. His FIP was only worse at 6.87. He struck out a mediocre amount of batters (6.46 per nine) while walking far too many (5.58/9). He featured a very average groundball rate (45%) and surrendered far too many home runs. In only two starts had he survived six innings, and he had allowed one run or less in only two starts as well. While his fastball has solid velocity, it doesn't have a ton of movement and is hurled with little command. A writer for SB Nation's Red Sox blog said he "throws hard, mostly straight, and is certifiably insane." This is the same pitcher as the one who has, for two straight starts, baffled Rays' hitters. Alfredo Aceves may not have pitched a no-hitter in either of his starts, but in 11 innings against the Rays this year, he has held them to two runs off of seven hits (and seven walks). Alfredo Aceves is the very definition of a back of the rotation starter, yet for two straight starts, he has breezed through what was once a very potent Rays' offense. After all the excitement and rejoicing over the promotion of Wil Myers, this game served as a harsh reminder that right now the Rays are not playing quality baseball. Losers of seven of their past nine, the Rays cannot find any type of rhythm. Their offense, which was stellar in the early goings of the seasons, is in a slump. The starting pitching has only continued upon a season trend of short starts and little success. Only the bullpen is in strong form at this moment, but a dominant bullpen isn't very useful in non-competitive games. The Red Sox struck early as they have been wont to do this year. After the Rays quickly went three up and three down in the top of the first inning, Jacoby Ellsbury took a high fastball off the Green Monster for a double. A Shane Victorino fly-ball advanced Ellsbury to third, and then Dustin Pedroia hit a deep sacrifice fly to score the runner. In the top of the second inning, the Rays promptly responded with a run of their own. A wild Alfredo Aceves walked Evan Longoria and James Loney. Wil Myers, stepping up to the plate for the first time in his major league career, eagerly swung at the first pitch, a fastball off the outer edge, and hit a pop fly to center. Luke Scott, ahead in the count, doubled to right field to score a run. After Molina drew a walk (!), Yunel Escobar grounded into a double play to end the threat. Chris Archer struggled with his command in the second inning, issuing three walks but escaping unharmed thanks to a timely double play ball. In the third inning, he allowed back to back singles to Ellsbury and Victorino with no one out. David Ortiz then took advantage of a toned down shift, hitting a grounder into the hole in right field to score both runners (Victorino had stolen second base). An amped up Chris Archer settled down a little, retiring the next six batters in a row. While the Rays' offense was going down quietly, the Red Sox refused to let Archer find a lengthy groove, taking advantage of a throwing error by James Loney in the fifth to put a runner on. The play seemed to knock Archer out of his rhythm as he proceeded to allow a walk and a single, which scored a run. Following a strikeout of Mike Napoli, Archer walked Daniel Nava, loading the bases. Maddon emerged from the dugout to bring in Josh Lueke, but the heavens opened and the game was delayed. Nearly three hours later, Josh Lueke returned to the mound with the bases loaded. After falling behind 2-0, he challenged Jarrod Saltalamacchia with three straight fastballs to strike him out. In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Red Sox would get to Lueke with two outs. Ellsbury and Victorino hit consecutive triples to right field, scoring a run in the process. The score was now 5-1, with Boston in the lead. It should be noted that Myers looked rather sluggish, mishandled the ball, and made a weak throw. Given the rather positive reports about his defense, hopefully this can be coughed up to

Joe is back with his postgame thoughts…. A way-too-soft throw to a cutoff man and looking like a minor leaguer at the plate highlighted savior right fielder Will Myers’ heralded debut this afternoon/evening in Boston. Joe is so tempted to blast the kid for swinging at the first pitch after Sox starter Alfredo Aceves walked Evan Longoria and James Loney to lead off the second inning. But since Joe Maddon doesn’t believe in old school baseball, you can’t blame bundle-of-nerves Myers for coming out swinging — and popping out. Sadly, Myers fit in beautifully with the rest of his comrades in the ___ loss — lifeless. The Rays’ bats were largely dead, and Chris Archer’s five-hit, five-walk performance through 4 2/3 was dreadful. If there’s such a thing as desperate for a win on June 18, tonight’s second half of the doubleheader fells like it falls in that category. © Joe Rays Fan for Rays Index, 2013. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us Post tags: Joe Rays Fan

As Neil deMaus tweeted, "this should be all kinds of entertaining."Breaking news out of California: the City of San Jose is suing MLB over its failure to relocate the A's. Sure, the A's already have their hands full with all sorts of other crap, but this lawsuit is much more about MLB and its monopoly over where its franchises can play.I've written before about MLB's sacred anti-trust exemption and how it allows the league to pretty much defy basic economics and do whetever the heck it wants with its franchises. But now, this lawsuit threatens to thrusting that antitrust exemption back under the legal microscope:The lawsuit claims Major League Baseball and its commissioner, Bud Selig, have violated state and federal laws regarding unfair business practices and anticompetitive conduct. It also challenges the exemption to antitrust laws that the U.S. Supreme Court upheld for Major League Baseball in 1922."This action arises from the blatant conspiracy by Major League Baseball to prevent the Athletics Baseball Club from moving to San Jose," the suit says. "This action challenges - and seeks to remedy - defendants' violation of state laws and use of the illegal cartel that results from these agreements to eliminate competition in the playing of games in the San Francisco Bay Area."For all the Rays fans thinking Tampa Bay's Stadium Saga may end up in court, keep a close eye on all this action in that other Bay Area...MLB has a lot on the line.

Wil Myers is now officially a big leaguer and had his first Major League at bat, popping up on the first pitch. But maybe the most telling part of the at bat happened as Myers walked up to the plate. He yawned. Twice. Here’s his first at bat as called by Dave Wills and Andy Freed… © The Professor for Rays Index, 2013. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us Post tags:

by Ray Kuhn Fantasy baseball success is all about maximizing value and timing. You want to grab players at the right point on their trajectory upward and then part ways when they begin to trend downward. Of course that harder said than done. Every owner in your league should be trying to do the same exact thing (possibly with the same players), complicating matters. All that means is that you have to look that much harder to find value. In some cases that means keeping your eyes out for rising prospects, potentially grabbing them a week or two early. Then, when you find success with your “flash in the pan” additions, make sure that you don’t get too greedy and let them over stay their welcome in your lineup. Here are 3 players whose stock I think is rising this week, and 3 whose stock I think is falling. 3 Up: Josh Rutledge, SS, Colorado Rockies. Rutledge started the season off as a popular sleeper for the Rockies. Instead, the power/speed infielder struggled, hitting .242, before being sent down to the minors on May 20. However he did show some of the power/speed that was expected of him with five home runs to go with five stolen bases and 13 RBI. With the injury to Troy Tulowitzki a few days ago, Rutledge was recalled from Triple-A and given a second chance. In his 69 minor league at bats he was able to put his troubles behind him as he hit .348. So far he has played in three games in his second stint with the Rockies and he is 1-14 with a two run HR. Then why am I advocating Rutledge as a player to add? Not much has changed from when he was highly regarded prior to the season and he did show some of his power and speed in flashes despite his early season struggles. The fact that he was also successful in Triple-A is a good sign. Middle infield is also an extremely weak position, so especially in deeper leagues Rutledge could be a very attractive option to take a look at. Trevor Plouffe, 3B, Minnesota Twins. We all remember Plouffe last season as he gave his owners an unexpected boost in the power department. In 119 games he hit 24 home runs, but the problem is that he only hit .235. So far this season the third baseman has had some moderate success, but he also missed close to a month with a calf injury. Prior to his injury he hit four home runs in 37 games while driving in 17. Those are not terrible numbers, though not great either, and it is important to remember that he is no longer eligible at shortstop like he was last season. That, in addition to his injury, meant that Plouffe was forgotten about in a lot of leagues. He returned to action by going 3-3 with a home run in his first game back and is hitting .264 on the season. While he might not hit 24 home runs again, the power is still there to some degree, though the average is also a concern. This is the time of year when injuries are aplenty and fill in options are needed. The injury caused a lot of owners to forget about Plouffe, so he is worth a look if you need help at third base. Wil Myers, OF, Tampa Bay Rays. I am sure that by now you are sick of hearing about Myers. He was a top minor leaguer and hitting prospect for both the Royals and now the Rays and now he will finally be making his major league debut. The bottom line here is that if he is still available in your league, he should not be. Pause reading this article and go pick him up or put a claim in for him. All through the minor leagues Myers has had success and the 22 year old is certainly ready for the next step. So far this season he is hitting .283 in 63 games at Triple-A. Tampa’s offense has been lacking this season and Myers is the run producer they need as his 57 RBI and 14 home runs have proven. 3 Down: Brandon League, RP, Los Angeles Dodgers. Despite the three year contract the Dodgers gave League, he has been on thin ice even before the season started. Kenley Jansen has been breathing down League’s neck for the closer’s job and it finally seems that Jansen has overtaken him. With a 5.54 ER

Lineup optimization is a bit of an overrated task for a statistician. There's no denying that what order the players perform in can have significant influence on the game, but making those decisions requires knowledge of statistics, physical attributes, and quality of mind. Joe Maddon started the year with an unconventional approach, using the first two slots of the batting order as a rotating door of players to find hot streaks and ignite the offense. The tricks paid off in May, when the Rays led the majors with a 125 wRC+, and Maddon has settled back into a more consistent approach. Now the lineup receives a wild card, and it's a good problem to have: Wil Myers Heading over to Fenway. Excited to put the uniform on and play today! — Wil Myers (@wilmyers) June 18, 2013 Upon his call up to the big leagues, Wil Myers will have his turn batting in the line up every day, but Joe Maddon intends to start him low in the order to take the pressure off. Today's first lineup to feature Wil Myers has him batting sixth, which is not an awful choice. As a top-5 prospect in all of baseball, it's difficult enough performing against astronomically high expectations. It'd be even more difficult batting second; nevertheless, fear not. Myers will not stay batting 7-9 the entire season, and finding an ideal batting order is an art that Joe Maddon prides himself in. Let's take a cursory look at what could be to come in adding Wil Myers to the Tampa Bay Rays offense. The Book Every discussion about building a batting order should start with Tom Tango's study on the importance of each batter, which can be found in The Book. (more from Ian on The Book here) According to Tango, the most important batters in the lineup are second and fourth*, based on numbers of plate appearances and the opportunity to succeed. Furthermore, it is fifth and lead off that hold even more importance than the third hitter in the line up. The rest falls in order from there, but the guys batting sixth and ninth should probably be fast and have some ability to get on base in front of likely singles hitters. Put these rankings together, and your batting order by talent looks like this: 4, 2, 5, 1, 3, 6, 7, 9, 8 *I was not always a believer in "third research by R.J. Anderson recently persuaded me otherwise. The Current Lineup As of Sunday, June 16th, this was Tampa Bay's starting lineup: AVG OBP SLG wOBA wRC+ 1. Matt Joyce, RF .270 .355 .529 .380 147 2. Ben Zobrist, 2B .270 .361 .393 .334 116 3. Kelly Johnson, LF .246 .319 .448 .332 114 4. Evan Longoria, 3B .306 .365 .552 .390 154 5. James Loney, 1B .301 .361 .476 .360 133 6. Desmond Jennings, CF .252 .313 .429 .322 107 7. Luke Scott, DH .240 .340 .388 .323 108 8. Jose Molina, C .239 .272 .316 .259 64 9. Yunel Escobar, SS .241 .303 .359 .294 88 B. Sean Rodriguez, UT .246 .342 .406 .333 114 B. Ryan Roberts, 2B/3B** .238 .294 .349 .286 82 B. Sam Fuld, OF .180 .250 .258 .230 44 B. Jose Lobaton, C .279 .343 .443 .344 122 **Roberts was optioned to Triple-A Durham on Monday to make room for Myers Of course, no two weeks are the same under Joe Maddon, but this lineup was as close to consistency as the Rays could get. There are two key mainstays to Maddon's lineup: Zobrist and Longoria. The strategy agrees with The Book well, Zorilla and Longoria are the standouts in OBP over the long sample size, and project as the two best hitters on the team. The two biggest surprises have certainly been James Loney and Matt Joyce, who have each been putting together incredibly strong seasons. These four create the foundation of the line up. Even still, Matt Joyce is somewhat of an outlier. In his 15 games from the lead off position, he's batting .311/.391/.607 with four home runs, six doubles, and seven walks. Joyce is also thumping the highes

Playing A Little Pepper… Jerry Remy will once again not be in the NESN booth for this series. What is scary is that there hasn’t been much explanation for his absence and Remy has suffered from cancer in the past… Today’s double-header is the 21st in Rays’ history. Alfredo Aceves will start the first game for the Red Sox and Felix Doubront will start the second…If you missed it last week, below you can see a GIF of Andrew Bailey mocking Fernando Rodney’s shoot-the-moon celebration and then “breaking” the bow…Rays starting pitchers have allowed 38 earned runs in the last 8 games, the most for an 8-game stretch since 2005. The Rays are 2-6 in that stretch…Wil Myers will make his debut today and is 2 days older than Evan Longoria was on the date of his big league debut…Evan Longoria will play third base in the first game of the double-header, but is expected to DH in the second. Game Graph… [Will be up at game time] Source: FanGraphs Lineup… Matt Joyce, LF Flash Jennings, CF Ben Zobrist, 2B Evan Longoria, 3B James Loney, 1B Wil Myers, RF Luke Scott, DH Jose Molina, C Yunel Escobar, SS Chis Archer, SP © The Professor for Rays Index, 2013. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us Post tags: